Improvement in sewing-machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O. NEOKER. Sewing-Machine. No. 208,259. Patented Sept.24, I878.

I frweni r I C'wrl Jrgmry 6 611/ v N. PETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER.WASHlNGTON D O.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I O. NEGKER' Sewing-Machine.

Patented Sept. 24, 1878.

Invenhn;

N.PETER$, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. D O,

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CARL NEGKER, OF BERLIN, PRUSSIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,259, datedSeptember 24, 1878; application filed May 7, 1878; patented in England,February 28, 1877.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL NncKER, of Berlin, Prussia, have invented anImprovement in Sewing-Machines, of which the foL lowing is aspecification:

This invention has for its object improvements in sewing-machines, andthe improvements have reference to sewing-machines in which thefabric tobe sewed is nipped and held between the circumference of two horizontalcylinders, which are pressed together, and are mounted at some distanceabove the bedof the machine. The needle by which the fabric is piercedis, as heretofore, ahorizontal needle, and is worked to and fro radiallyto the axis of the cylinders and over the point at which the cylindersmeet together. It is carried by an arm from a slide, to which ahorizontal to and-fro motion is given from a crank-disk, the pin ofwhich operates inaslotted cam. I make the arm of a curved form, to passover and clear the feeding-cylinder nearest to the camaxis, and so as tocome over the top of the' outer feeding-cylinder. The needle is securedto the end of the said arm with its point to ward the cam-axis, so thatthe needle pierces the fabric as it moves in a direction toward thisaxis.

To secure the loops of the thread passed through the fabric by thehorizontal needle, another thread is passed through the loops by ashuttle. I cause the shuttle to oscillate to and fro in a circular race,situated above one of the cylinders which is nearest to the camshaft,and which race has its face close up to the point where the twocylinders meet.

The shuttle-race is in a vertical plane, and the shuttle-driver iscarried by a horizontal axis, to which a revolving oscillating motion isimparted from the cam-shaft. The axis may for this purpose have a pinionupon its rear end, gearing with a curved toothed rack, carried by ahorizontal arm, which is caused to rock to and fro by a cam or eccentricon the cam-axis, the cam-axis in this case being placed vertically.

The vertical stems of the two feeding-cylinders, for feeding forward thefabric, both pass down through the bed of the machine, and

upon the lower end of each is a toothed wheel.

The two toothed wheels gear together, so that if one spindle is turnedthe other turns with it. whereby both cylinders aid to feed the fabricforward.

A step-by-step revolving motion is given to, one of i the spindles by aratchet acting upon a wheel on its lower end, the ratchet being actuatedfrom a cam or eccentric on the cam or driving shaft before mentioned.

The lower end of the spindle of one of the cylinders (the outer one) iscarried by the end of a lever below the bed of the machine. A springacts upon this lever to turn it in a direc tion to force the cylinderwhich itcarries up to and against the other cylinder, the axis of whichturns in fixed bearings. The lever is connected to a treadle, so that bydepressing the treadle the movable cylinder may be moved away from theother cylinder and the cylinders be so caused to release their hold ofthe work. 7

In place of securing the loops of threads passed through the fabric bythe straight needle, by interlacing with them loops of another thread bymeans of a shuttle, as above described, they may be secured by passinganother thread through them by a curved needle. In this case loops ofanother thread are passed through and interlaced with them by a curvedneedle, which has an oscillating revolving motion given to it, as iswell understood; but in place of this curved needle being upon a spindleat right angles to the straight needle, as is usual in other classes ofsewingmachines, it is upon a spindle parallel with it. This spindle liesabove the top of the cylinder nearest to the cam-axis.

To give motion to the spindle, I form its rear end with a spiral twist,which is embraced by a nut upon the slide of the straight needle, sothat as this slide moves to and fro in a straight line an oscillatingrevolving motion is given to the axis of the curved needle. 1

Having thus described the nature of my invention, I will proceed todescribe more fully the manner of performing the same.

In the drawings hereunto annexed I have shown a shuttle sewing-machinearranged as hereinbefore described.

Figure 1 is a side view of the machine, with the cover-plate of itsleft-hand portion removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with thetop cover of the same portion of the machine removed. Fig. 3 is anunder-side view of the machine 5 and Fig. 4 is a front view of a portionof the same.

In these figures, A is the drivin g-axis, which may be driven by a cordfrom an axis worked by a treadle, or may be otherwise driven. This axisgives motion, through bevel-toothed wheels, to an upright axis, B, fromwhich motion is given to the several parts of the machine. On its upperend it carries a crankdisk, the pin 0 of which enters a slotted cam, I),attached to a slide, D, that carries the needle. It also carries aneccentric, B, (see Fig. 2,) which gives a to-and-fro motion to a toothedare, E, carried by arms, between which the eccentric works, and whichturn on a pin at E The toothed are E gives a to-andfro motion to apinion, F, on an axis, F, which, at its opposite end, carries theshuttle driver. On the lower end of the axis Bis an eccentric, G, forgiving a step -by step motion to the feedin g-cylinders, as hereinafterdescribed.

H H are the two feeding-cylinders, between which the work is nipped andheld, and which move the work forward step by step as-the stitchingprogresses. The stem of the cylinder H, which is nearest to the axis 13,is carried down through the bed-plate I of the machine, and has upon it,below the bed-plate, a toothed wheel. H which gears with a toothedwheel, H 011 the stem of the cylinder H so that when one cylinder isrevolved the other revolves with it.

The stem of the cylinder H is hollow, and is free to turn upon a rod, J,fixed in the shorter arm of the lever J. The longer arm of this leverhas bearing upon it a rod, J pressed downward by a spring, J so that thecylinder H is constantly pressed toward the cylinder H. The longer armhas also connected toit a rod, J, which descends to a treadle, by whichit can be raised, and when raised it turns the lever J on its fulcrum Jand so moves the cylinder H away from the cylinder H whenever it isdesired to set the work free, the slot in the bed-plate I, through whichthe stem of the cylinder H descends, being sufficiently large to allowthe stem to be thus rocked to and fro. On the lower end of the stem ofthe cylinder H is a disk, K, against the circumference of which rests aportion of the ratchet-leverL, which turns loosely around the stem.

The end of the lever which bears upon the circumference of the disk Khas connected to it a spring, L which draws it constantly to ward afixedpin, L to which the opposite end of the spring is connected. Theopposite arm of the lever L is connected by a link to a rockin g lever,L turning on a fulcrum at L, and this lever is rocked by the eccentric Gon the lower end of the axis B, as shown at Fig. 3.

By this means a rocking motion is given to the backward motion of theratchet-lever, but

which allows it to turn on the forward move ment of the lever, when itgripes against the circumference of the disk, as is well understood.

The amount of movement given to the cylinder H at each revolution of theeccentric G can be varied by moving the fulcrum of the rocking lever Lnearer to or farther from the eccentric. It is for this purpose mountedon a slide, L carried by the bed-plate, and which can be fixed in anydesired position by a set screw, L (Shown at Fig. 2.)

The above ratchet arrangement for giving a step-by-step movement to thestem of the cylinderH is what is known as a smooth or silent ratchet;but other ratchet arrangements might be used.

The slide D, which carries the needle, passes, as shown, above the topof the cylinder H, and at its end passes downward, and carries ahorizontal needle just above the top of the cylinder H lts pointed end,which carries a thread, as usual, works to and fro over the point wherethe cylinders H H meet together, and as it passes over the cylinder H itenters a small hole formed in the front fiXGd. portion of the circularshuttlerace M. (See Fig. 4.)

The shuttle N, carrying the second thread, lies in the shuttle-race, andis rocked to and fro in this race by a shuttle-driver, O, on the axis F,to which a to-and-fro revolving motion is given, as hereinbeforedescribed.

The front face of the shuttle-race M is inclosed' by a movable plate, Mwhich can be turned aside, as shown at Fig. 4, for the purpose ofremoving the shuttle. O is a small spring on the shuttle-driver O, tobear against the front of the shuttle. The thread for the horizontalneedle passes from the bobbin I, to which any ordinary frictionarrangement is applied, and through an eye, P to an eye in a rockingarm, P which is by a spring moved backward as the needle moves forward,so as to take up slack thread. The thread also, for the same purpose,passes through a slotted rod, P and rests upon a cap, P pressed upwardby a spring around the slotted rod, as shown at Fig. 1. It then passesthrough eyes P on the needle-arm to the needle.

As before stated, a second thread may be passed through and interlacedwith the loops of the straight horizontal needle by means of a curvedneedle, which has an oscillating revolving motion given to it, ashereinbefore described, in place of passing a thread through the loopsof the thread of the straight needle by a shuttle, as above moreparticularly described.

Having thus described the nature of my inven tion and the manner ofperforming the same, I would have it understood that the details of themachine hereinbefore described and shown in the drawings may beconsiderably varied; but

What I claim is 1.- The combination of the reciprocating arm carryingthe straight needle, the feedin gcylinders H H and the shuttle O or itsde-. scribed equivalent, the said needle being carried above thecylinder H farthest from the cam-axis and moving toward this axis in itsforward movement, as hereinbefore described.

2. The combination, with the feeding-cylinders H and H, of a shuttle-race arranged over one of said feeding-cylinders and near their pointof meeting, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GARL NEGKER.

Witnesses:

OTHMAR LENZ, EDWARD P. MAoLEAN.

